Hi Marianne, I have been to areas like Dillon and have seen the forests - it is devastating in some areas, especially those with a lot of Lodgepole. I guess it is a natural cycle, and the beetle doesn't usually attack young trees- so the forest will regenerate, and hopefully be healthier.
I wish they would lift restrictions for logging in the forests - get the dead wood out, and thin the healthy trees - but then, no one asked me. :-)
Gorgeous photos, by the way!
Also, we could freeze them out, if temperatures fell well below freezing ( I think it -40 degrees) for 2 weeks... but that's not likely to happen ! LOL!
Marianne - The Lake Tahoe area also has a problem with those beetlesl. The danger can come during fire season, when the dead or dying trees haven't been removed and become a tender box for flames. Lake Tahoe had an upclose experience with that a couple years ago.
Hey, Marianne. While your photos are amazing, I hate to hear about the trees. Thanks for sharing, Jim
I hate to see that. Were the beetles brought in to Colorado from another country? Are there any natural solutions that would have the beetles on their menu? Thanks for letting us know about this Marianne.
Debi: It is terrible. We have a little place in Grand Lake, and when we go up there now, we can see some of those pricier homes because they've had to cut down the trees on their property. It is a shame what it's doing to the ecosystem. Thanks for your comments.
Hi Mary:If you've traveled to Dillion from Red Lakes, then you've seen the terrible damage these little creatures have done. We took a trip from our place in Grand Lake over to Steamboat, thru Rabbit Ears Pass. And the amount of dead trees thru there is phenomenal! It's mind boggling how many dead trees. So sad. And about the freezing, you are right! I hate the cold weather, but I'd rather have the trees than the warm winter. Let it freeze, let it freeze, let it freeze!
Myrl: Oh no! How sad! I used to live in San Jose, and trips thru Sacto to Tahoe were frequent. I used to think I was going to retire in one of the little towns of Hwy 49. But, now I'm here. Our fire season comes with the summer and lightning strikes. Fires are scary. I really hope we don't have one, but really, it's a tender box waiting to explode. Thanks for stopping in.
Hi Jim: It's really sad to see. Then couple that with the natural dying of the Aspen trees, and our mountains will not green up this summer. Thanks for reading and leaving a comment!
Sharon: I don't know how they got here, or when, or from where, but, I do not that the natural solution to the beetles, and why they haven't been a big problem in the past is the weather. If the weather would just drop to below 40 degrees for a couple of weeks, without relief, it would kill them. But, it's too late now. This needed to happen about 4-5 years ago. It's another effect of global warming. Thanks for dropping in!
Marianne, this has already happened for the most part to our forest east of Cedar City. It is a tragedy!
Marianne, our photo story is sensationally beautiful. And it speaks volumes by photo illustration of a real tragedy. I saw a lot of this at Yosemite and I asked why so many trees are dead. Some by disease and some intentional clearing away the old so the new seedlings get the light. What you have illustrated so well about the beetle is realy sad. We need a bird that likes eating beetles?. Guess there are no known sterilization methods for the Beetles?
Tony & Darcy: I know, it's everywhere that the Lodgepole pine trees grow. What a shame. Glad you stopped in.
Hey William: It's hard for the birds to get to the beetles because they bore under the bark. A natural deterent is cold weather, except we've had such warm winters in the last 10 years, that it never gets cold enough to kill the beetles. Plus, the trees are under stress already because of lower than usual rain fall. If there's anyone out there that doubts global warming, all they need it to take a look at our forests. Thanks for stopping by.
I drive over to Denver 5 or 6 times a year, I was just over the mountains last weekend. It is a terrible sight by Silverthorne it seems like there are very few pine trees left alive, thousands of acres of dead pines. I fear for a huge forest fire in the next few years.
Oh Alan, exactly! It's just awful. Fortunately the beetles are bothering the young trees, but they're too small to be called trees yet. Have you been over Rabbit Ears Pass? Even worse, if that's possible. What a shame.
Sorry to read about this. I used to live in Colorado, and can't wait until we move back. I had no idea of the damage to the trees.
Colorado is so beautiful, hope it gets under control.
Sandra
Hi Sandra, thanks for stopping by! The trees are a total loss. It'll take regrowth of the forest to before its under control.
Marianne, It really is frightening, isn't it? I posted about this last year - after a trip to RMNP and down into Grand County. I was stunned at the destruction these beetles have caused. A good 80% of that county's trees are dead or dying. Often in very high end real estate areas and ski resorts. Can't help but wonder what effect that will have on values. Worse yet, what it holds for our entire forest's ecosystem....
Debi